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Oklahoma City Thunder: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

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Oklahoma City Thunder
Mar 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (34) reacts from the bench area during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Three Key Storylines (cont.)

2. Can Enes Kanter Silence His Critics?

Here are the three indisputable facts you need to know when it comes to Enes Kanter and the Oklahoma City Thunder:

  1. Enes Kanter is a horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE defender
  2. Enes Kanter earned a four-year, $70 million extension this summer
  3. The Thunder didn’t have a choice when it came to re-signing Enes Kanter

Going point by point, Kanter’s atrocious defense is no secret by now. Before adding him midseason, the Thunder were the NBA’s 10th best defense, giving up 101.0 points per 100 possessions. After Kanter entered the fold, OKC became the fourth worst defense in the league, surrendering 107.0 points per 100 possessions. That’s a MAJOR swing.

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    • Paying up $70 million over four years for a guy who’s that much of a defensive sieve doesn’t seem like a good idea, even if he did average 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in OKC last season.

    However, there are a couple of reasons to defend this contract. For one thing, Kanter is still only 23 years old and has plenty of room for improvement, even if he might be the worst defensive big in the entire NBA right now. Second, OKC didn’t set the bar for this contract; as a restricted free agent, Kanter was given that offer sheet by the Portland Trail Blazers and the Thunder had to decide whether or not to match.

    But most important of all, keeping Kanter signals that this organization is committed to winning above all else, trying to surround Durant and Westbrook with as much talent as possible. With KD hitting free agency next summer, failing to match would’ve sent the wrong message, especially since the Thunder wouldn’t have had the kind of cap space to sign other free agents as opposed to simply keeping their own.

    The question now is whether or not Kanter — who has never played a game with Kevin Durant, by the way — will really be as horrendous on defense with the entire team healthy. In 2015-16, will his post presence on offense free things up for Westbrook and Durant? Or will his terrible defense be the cause of the Thunder’s postseason demise?

    Next: Storyline: Is Billy Donovan Ready For The NBA?

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